Doctor Who Club of Australia

[watcher]

Here is the interview with Paul Cornell that featured in a recent issue of DE. I hope everyone enjoyed Father’s Day.

Interview with Paul Cornell

* Kate Orman once said that you inspired her to be a writer. What advice can you give to aspiring writers in the 21st century?

The same as it's ever been: read and write loads; listen and take onboard criticism, do not be defensive about it, change because of it; write about things you feel strongly about; don't do things other people have already done thinking they're 'homages', 'in jokes' or 'in the style of', let other people write in the style of you.

* What sort of career should one aim for to be able to be a writer for Doctor Who?

That of a writer. No, I'm not being flippant. (Not yet!) My path to televised Doctor Who didn't go: fan fiction, Who novel, Who audio, TV Who. It went: Doctors, Casualty, TV Who. (Rob Shearman's went: won awards, Alan Ayckborn's apprentice, TV Who.) You have to learn to write first, and put that into practice, and bring that to bear on Doctor Who, otherwise you'll just be wandering round and round in old footsteps. Fan fiction is a great place to start, but it's a terrible place to stop.

* Scream of the Shalka was a terrific adventure. Do you see yourself doing more of these with Richard E Grant in the future, or has that idea been discontinued?

Ta! But we're history, we're Unbound, we're over. Doctor 8A is an ex-Doctor! Of course it's been discontinued. I'd love to see him pop up in a decade or two in a book or something, which is why I'm not going to resolve anything: let some distant author pick up the threads way in the future.

* If you were able to, what characters, actors, props and aliens would you like to see return in the new series?

Only what we already have. Let Russell re-establish the show's identity first: it makes it stronger. Then he can raid the past when it's flourishing and it's just icing on the (flourishing) cake.

* How did you get the position of writer on the new series? Did you approach someone or were you approached?

I was approached. On the phone, while putting some over chips in. I'll always remember what I was doing, and it had to be that.

* How did you feel when you found out that you'll be writing for the new series of Doctor Who?

Elated, then terrified that I'd mess it up. The terror lasted longer than the elation. I'm still in the middle of it. But the elation kind of whizzes back every now and then.

* How many episodes will you be writing this season and do you have any input in the other episodes?

Just the one. Me and Moffat tend to show each other our drafts and talk about them, but I wouldn't say I had any input. What sort of input should I have?

* When writing for a TV serial, the writers are usually given a brief on how many cars can be used, how many scene changes and sets are allowed, whether a car chase or explosion can fit into the budget etc.

Are they? Okay.

* Were you given a restrictive brief like this for Doctor Who and, if so, what can you tell us about it?

No, and thus no. Are you sure about this? Have I missed something?

* Do you have a contract to write for future seasons?

No. Nobody does. That would be odd. Well, Russell might.

* How much say do you have on the production floor and on location?

Well, I'll do what all TV writers do, pop along to see a couple of scenes being made, have a couple of nice lunches and let everyone know they're doing a great job. My baby is given to the director to bring up, with the Production Office being... a sort of all-powerful school environment. (This metaphor isn't working.) There isn't a place for the writer to stand on most TV shoots, because they're not usually there.

* For example, if a scene is crucial to the development of the plot, but it is too expensive to shoot and the producer wishes to drop it, can you compromise and negotiate by dropping other scenes or rewriting?

It's not up to me to say if something's crucial to the plot, it's up to Russell, Elwen, Phil, Julie or the director. Although I would be able to argue my case. But this isn't an antagonistic situation, this is a team game, a group of people all working together. The above scenario is never going to happen, because a specific decision will have been made about all those other scenes too, and I'll have been rewriting all the time, anyway. If something was too expensive to shoot, we'd just write something else that did the same dramatic job.

* The military characters in Scream of the Shalka deserve another outing. Will you be able to bring some of them into the new series?

No. Wouldn't really want to. They belong in their own world. But cheers.

* Is there a chance that Nicholas Courtney will get a cameo appearance in the new series?

I don't know.

* Apart from the essential Doctor Who mythos, will there be any surprise nods to the past such as returning actors and characters? (Is there a role for Michael Sheard?)

I don't know.

* My favourite well-rendered (rendering!) aliens were the Hooti in your book Love and War. It was the first time I'd been terrified by a character in a book. Will you write the Hooti into the new series?

I think it's safe to say that I haven't so far, and this is the only Who script I'm thinking about right now.

* What controls do you have over your Virgin, BBC and Big Finish characters?

I now own Bernice, Wolsey, and Joseph the Porter, and licence them to Big Finish. Gary checks in with me every now and then about what he's going to do with them, and every now and then I decide to dive in and shape that series for a while, but otherwise he runs the show. Everyone else still belongs to their respective companies.

* Will Bernice Summerfield get a mention?

I think that would be decadent this early on.

And now some questions that fans seem to love asking:
* Will the Cybermen return in this season?
* Will the Daleks and Cybermen have a war? (!!!)
* Will the Sontaran/Rutan war be seen?
* Will we get sequels to classic series adventures?
* Do you think the new series will ever film in Australia?

Sorry, I drifted off there for a moment.

* And, finally, what would you tell people who have never seen Doctor Who before, to convince them to watch the new series?

It's a unique show, with this lovely, truly heroic hero who encounters spacey stuff in a way that's different to how all other SF shows do it. The two leads are fantastic together. You'll really care about what happens to them. And there's loads of variety, something new all the time. It's funny and exciting and scary. It's still the show your parents loved, but it's made for you now.

P.S. Any chance of getting a character in the new series named after a Doctor Who fan?

Retroactively. That is, the fan could name themselves after the character.

It's lovely to do this for an Aussie fanzine, by the way. I have great memories of my various visits down under, and meetings with that wonderful fandom of yours. Don't take the sods and offs personally! Hope you like the episode when you see it. Cheers.

* Many thanks Paul.

[Ickabod]

Father's Day was good....very very good..........so far (have only been watching Dr.Who as it comes on the ABC)......but my fave was Dalek......

[Liam]

I've seen the first season, but so far I think Father's Day is the best.

[meglos]

Definately the best so far. I had friends ringing me up who don't normally get that excited about Doctor Who telling me how good they thought that episode was.

[the wheel]

in my opinion, also the best so far

[Liam]

Those people who voted that Father's Day isn't the best so far, what episode do you like more? I'd be interested to hear what everyone is thinking at this stage in the series.

[Ickabod]

Like I said...........Father's Day is good...well okay.........really really good but Dalek was good too.....they both moved me for different reasons........Father's Day kinda reminds me of "the Butterfly Effect" or "The Crow"

[Dazza]

[Hiruma]

I enjoyed the Unquiet dead the most. THe setting was great, the effects were great and just the look on Dicken's face when he saw the old lady and the gas creatures emerging was just great.

I think most people bypass it for the episodes that are more grandiose in nature like Dalek and Fathers day (which definetly shows what happens when the Time Lords arnt around to make sure people like Rose cant futz with time)

Matt

[Liam]

Agreed Dazza, one Father's Day a season will do, and I also happen to agree with you guys who like the Unquiet Dead, I thought that was a great story too, but I liked Father's Day just a tiny bit more, but only the tiniest bit.

[Ickabod]

Yeahhhh l liked the unquiet dead and charles dickens character was really good...........so far most of them have been good....but too many tearjerkers is not good for the tear-ducts..... mind you it was sad about charlie dying the next year......

[Greg]

JUst a bit off topic, but I'd like to say that this thread is a perfect example of what the club can do with both the magazine and the web-site.

Every magazine has limited space and layout problems. Publishing an unedited version of something that was cut to fit (obviously after the magazine's been out for a while) allows those who'd like more to get it. And, to add to it, potentially forum members can comment on Paul's answers...

The only thing that could have bettered this would have been if Paul Cornell had agreed to respond to comments in the thread. But, even without that, this is a great idea for the forum.

[Guest]

Agreed. Might be an idea to let Paul know it's here and he can drop by sometime and leave a comment or two. I reckon he'd be happy to.

[Paul Cornell]

Thanks very much, everyone. I seem to have been in a sarky mood that day, but I knew the audience I was talking to wouldn't mind. I get the feeling I've met most of Aussie fandom at one time or another. Cheers.

[Sean]

[Greg]

Caroline's solo-authored Doctor Who audio, The Council of Nicaea has been released - I know, because mine arrived today!

I'll post thjoughts when I've heard it - which won't be toight as I'm busy, but soon.

[SharazJek]

Has anyone heard what Paul's upcoming Big Finish play will be called and/or what it is about?

[Greg]

Paul's upcoming Big Finish play is called Circular Time, is co-written with Mike Maddox, and features the 5th Doctor. Anything beyond that, including when it will be released, isn't known to me.

[SkillPhil]

I love the Fathers Day episode as it was well written by Paul Cornell and well realised visually as it had some very emotional scenes especially between Rose and her father.
And the whole thing with the church with the Doctor in control, love how he orders Roses mom around and each person at the wedding being knocked off by Reaper creatures those creepy black characters with long arms was terrific. It had a good message about the meaning of life, that people are dear to one another, a good humanitarian Doctor Who episode. So heres to more great Doctor Who!
cheers
Phillip Nicholls
Dwcv

[watcher]

Paul Cornell has been nominated for a Hugo award for his story 'Father's Day' He's up against 'Dalek' though. Which would you vote for?